Is the five-second rule for real? Will eating carrots improve your eyesight? Is your cookware a health hazard? Do spicy foods cool you down? No, no, no, and no, say the authors of Real Food Has Curves and the 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner Cooking Know-How. In this entertaining and informative reference guide they take on more than 100 popular kitchen myths and dish up answers to all your burning questions about food science and lore. No longer must you wait for your butter to reach room temperature before you bake or panic because you forgot to soak your dried beans for dinner. Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough explain how knowing the truth behind these urban legends can help you be a better chef, and offer 25 recipes to practice on.